Sustainable Decommissioning: Wind Turbine Blade Recycling
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1 SUSTAINABLE DECOMMISSIONING: WIND TURBINE BLADE RECYCLING REPORT FROM PHASE 1 OF THE ENERGY TRANSITION ALLIANCE BLADE RECYCLING PROJECT With contributions from: 3 CONTENTS SUMMARY Acknowledgements 2 Thirty years ago, it would have been hard to imagine that Summary 3 offshore wind could power every home in the UK. Today, Report Scope 6 that target is one of the key pillars of the UK Government’s Anatomy of a Wind Turbine Blade 8 climate change policy. This vision has been driven by the passion of wind industry pioneers to forge this new sector Defining ‘Circular’ and ‘Recycling’ 10 and make renewable energy a commercial reality. Governance Landscape 12 Future Market Opportunity 16 Current Methods of Blade Disposal 24 Composites Sector by Sector 28 With this has come an unrelenting drive to develop systems on oil and gas rigs. Both now face the challenge high-performance, next-generation wind turbines that of finding good solutions for decommissioning these Review of Composite Recycling Methods 36 will achieve the necessary energy capture and cost materials in the coming decades. Mechanical 39 efficiency. For the blades, composite layers of stiff For the wind sector, that is an urgent challenge here and carbon or glass fibres in a resin matrix were found to be now as the first generation of wind farms are starting to Thermal 40 the optimal material, delivering exceptional strength, reach the end of their service life. Longer term, by 2050, stiffness-to-density and flexibility in processing. Chemical 42 the global offshore wind industry will decommission As the wind industry has grown, it has become a major up to 85GW of capacity (cumulatively, and assuming Reprocessing 44 user of these materials, which have long been a solution a 25-year lifecycle). Onshore wind will decommission to design challenges in the oil and gas, aerospace, another 1,200GW. The oil and gas sector will likely begin Environmental Impact 50 automotive, defence and leisure industries. They are to decommission today’s composite pipelines around found in the pipe systems at oil and gas rigs, in car the same time. Academic Research 54 seats and interiors, aeroplane wings, bicycles, skis and The wind industry is already a major collaborator in many surfboards, to name but a few applications. Industry Innovation Programmes 60 new innovation programmes in the composites arena – Composite blades are now the final hurdle towards Carbo4Power, SusWIND and the Circular Economy for Recommendations and Next Steps 72 fully recyclable wind turbines (85-90% of a turbine is the Wind Sector Joint Industry Project (CEWS). Under References 74 technically recyclable already1). At the end of their lives, the latter project, ORE Catapult has set the target for an they have proven difficult and costly to reclaim and at-scale demonstration of wind turbine blade recycling in reprocess. To fully satisfy the sector’s future growth the UK within five years. plans and sustainability goals, finding the right solution The report sets out the huge opportunity for the for recycling them is becoming imperative, especially as UK supply chain in designing solutions to tackle the the first generation of wind farms are starting to reach recycling challenge and capturing a global market that the end of their 25-year lifecycles. encompasses 2.5 million tonnes of composites already ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS In the year of COP26, this is the moment for the wind in use in the wind energy sector. Many of the recycling and other industries to pause and take stock. Pooling technologies discussed in the report require further our collective experience and resources, we can achieve study but show promise in terms of the quality of This report was written by Lorna Bennet, Project the feats of engineering that will make the energy recovered materials. Engineer at the Offshore Renewable Energy transition and pan-sector circular economy a reality. (ORE) Catapult. ORE Catapult would like to thank Recycling is just the start. Moving turbines towards zero the following partners for their help and expertise This report is the result of one such cross-sector waste will be the next opportunity for the UK supply in compiling the report: collaboration between OGTC, Offshore Renewable chain through remanufacturing, reuse, repowering and Energy (ORE) Catapult, University of Leeds and National upgrading of components too. If realised, a spin-off • Dr Anne Velenturf, Research Impact Fellow Composites Centre (NCC). It is the first phase in our circular economy from offshore wind could extend the at the University of Leeds work to identify, study and then demonstrate scalable, current projection of 60,000 jobs in the sector by an • Annabel Fitzgerald, James Lightfoot cost-effective, and sustainable composite recycling additional 20,000 jobs. and Jonathan Fuller of the National technologies that will be applicable to the wind industry. As you will find in these pages, there are many reasons Composites Centre (NCC) When it comes to blade recycling, collaboration for optimism in the many techniques and technologies • Jeff Hailey and Pamela Lomoro of OGTC between the wind and oil and gas sectors will be that are already being trialled in this area. We are excited crucial to accelerating recycling technologies for plastic at the prospect of taking these forward together with composites. Both sectors are users of glass and carbon our industry partners and showing how the wind turbine, fibre reinforced plastics, which have proven to be the workhorse of the clean energy revolution, will take its optimal materials for both wind turbine blades and pipe next steps towards circularity. 4 5 Table 1. Results of the GF = glass fibre Technology CF = carbon fibre GFRP = glass fibre reinforced plastic Review, ETA CFRP = carbon fibre reinforced plastic Blade Recycling % figures refer to material properties retained Project Phase 1 post recycling compared to virgin fibres PROCESS TRL TRL COST SCALE END PRODUCT/ INNOVATION GFRP CFRP USES CHALLENGES IF REALISED, A SPIN-OFF Mechanical Grinding 9 6 Low Large GFRP powder for filler Microplastics and dust or reprocessing Cement kiln 9 N/A Low Large Energy recovery and Potential pollutants CIRCULAR ECONOMY co-processing cement clinker and particulate matter Thermal Pyrolysis 5 9 High Small Low quality GF High Energy Intensive quality CF (90%) Oils FROM OFFSHORE WIND from resins Fluidised bed 4 5 High Small Good quality, clean CF Energy Intensive pyrolysis (70-80%) COULD EXTEND THE Microwave N/A 4 High Very Good quality CF (75%) Less energy intense assisted pyrolysis Small Steam pyrolysis N/A 4 High Very High quality CF (>90%) Energy Intensive Small CURRENT PROJECTION Chemical Solvolysis 5 6 High Small Good quality GF (70%) Additional cleaning High quality CF (90%) process required Matrix material Energy Intensive OF 60,000 JOBS IN High temperature 4 4 High Very Good quality, High energy intensive and pressure Small clean CF Corrosive, high solvolysis pressure THE SECTOR BY AN Low temperature 4 4 High Very Good quality, clean CF Less energy intensive and pressure Small Epoxy monomers Acids required that are solvolysis difficult to dispose of ADDITIONAL 20,000 Electrochemical 4 4 Very Very Reasonable GF High energy intensive High Small Inefficient Reprocessing Milled fibre 9 6 Low Large Powder additive/filler Microplastics and dust (post grinding) for tailored electrical & JOBS BY 2030. thermal conductivity Chopped fibre 9 6 Low Medium Thermoplastic Handling of dry fibres (post pyrolysis/ compounding/SMC/ solvolysis) BMC, cement reinforcing, prepreg tape Pellets 6 9 Low Medium Injection moulding Microplastics and dust (thermoplastic) Non-woven 9 9 Low Medium Press moulding, resin Handling of dry fibres mat infusion, wet pressing, prepregs, semi-pregs and SMCs Component 8 N/A Medium Very Structural components: Low impact as no need reuse Small bridge support, bike for energy intensive shelter, roofing, etc methods to reclaim and process materials 6 7 REPORT A KEY CONCLUSION OF THE REPORT IS THAT IF THE SCOPE WIND INDUSTRY IS TO HAVE SECURITY OF SUPPLY IN THE COMING YEARS, This report is the conclusion of the first phase of the Energy ESTABLISHING RELIABLE Transition Alliance’s Blade Recycling Project. In Phase 2, the project partners ORE Catapult and OGTC will select the most promising AND EFFICIENT RECYCLING solutions from this study for further exploration and demonstration under the third and final phase of the project. PROCESSES IS A NECESSITY. Here, the current methods of blade disposal are While the wind industry continues its work to recycling processes is a necessity. With that CRITERIA FOR ASSESSING reviewed, the future scale of composite blade develop more sustainable solutions2,3, recycling comes a positive financial case, as it is estimated decommissioning is projected, and the influence is one of the best solutions achievable for these that the resultant onward sale of materials could RECYCLING TECHNOLOGIES of a changing regulatory framework is evaluated. first-generation blades. And it is a solution that recoup up to 20% of decommissioning costs for will be needed imminently in order to meet the an offshore wind farm5. The next step is an outline and assessment of Each of the technologies and processes investigated minimum resource security that will sustain all the scenarios for recycling of glass and fibre As yet, there remains a technology gap for in this report are reviewed against core criteria for offshore wind’s ambitious growth pathway. Wind reinforced plastics that are under development recycling blades. While various technologies meeting the wind industry’s needs: turbines are increasing rapidly in number and size and trial or are establishing themselves across exist to recycle their composite materials, and (turbine capacity has increased from 1.5MW in ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS various sectors. The emphasis throughout is an increasing number of companies are offering 2005 to 12MW in 2021). on the feasibility of these technologies and composite recycling services, these solutions are COST IMPLICATIONS FOR TURBINE approaches for use at the scale and cost that A study completed by Topham et al4 concluded not yet widely available nor cost competitive.